


Black and White

by ItsTheQueen



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: 1940s, Adorable little Steve, F/M, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Some Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-26
Updated: 2015-06-27
Packaged: 2018-04-06 08:19:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4214748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ItsTheQueen/pseuds/ItsTheQueen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I didn't have a complicated life. My life was quite simple, actually. That is, it was simple until I met Him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Black and White

The year is 1943. A downpour of rain adds to the already depressed mood of the evening, and normally on a day like this I'd be dancing. It was never all that hard for me to find a partner, but I never really enjoyed myself. Men here were so shallow. I guess it was probably because of the women. Every day was black and white. Every person a blank card.

Women expected their men to be strong and muscular--to be smart and all-knowing. To do all the heavy lifting. Men just expected women to be obedient. This trained each gender like dogs. Men were stripped of all capability to have depth. They were like robots; being polite, but rude. How could one be polite and rude? They'd hold doors open, offer coats, pull out chairs.... but all they wanted from their partner was sex. It rid all of them of the gentleman-like qualities that I sought. It rid them of the ability to be truly kind. No man in Brooklyn knew honor. 

Or at least that's what I thought.

Women, on the other hand, were trained to be simply submissive. Every night they would don short skirts and makeup, find a new partner and go dancing. All the while forgetting what really mattered in a relationship. Respect. There was no sensible or mutual respect in any of the relationships. People simply tolerated each other.

I tolerated everyone. My friends, who had of course conformed to society's expectations of a woman. They would beg me every night to go dancing with them. 'The boys would love you', was their plea. I politely declined, each evening, and stayed home.

Sometimes I would go out and walk on the streets, as I did today.

I tolerated the men, who would catcall in the streets and ask me to dance every time I was forced to the floor. I tolerated, of course, my mother, who just wanted me to find a husband and settle down. 

I walked close to the buildings, trying to keep partially dry from the downpour, but I didn't mind getting wet. I rather liked the rain. I liked the smell of it, and the sound. The sound of rain was calming, in a sense that it helped me focus. 

Maybe that's why I didn't hear it at first.

A loud cracking sound, followed by a clatter. I stopped in my steps, knitting my brow and looking around. There was panting, and soft words spoken in a whisper. I peered around the corner, directly into a short alley.

Now, there was one man in specific that would be very persistent in his pursuit of me. Every time I was at the ballroom, he would ask for a dance. I would decline, and he would attempt to persuade me, not nearly afraid of being physically seductive. He was a handsome man, but superficial. He had a look in his eye that was almost predatory, hungry. Like I was some kind of trophy. Daniel.

There he was, his stance aggressive. "You want to go again?" He barked, holding his hands out. The knuckles of his hands were red, bleeding. On the ground in front of him was a small man, thin and frail looking. He had blood streaming from his nose, trailing down his neck. His lip was split and one eye was bruised. He must have been five foot four, almost two heads shorter than Daniel. Nonetheless, he stood, his mouth slack and slightly agape, and pulled himself to his feet. He brought up both fists, holding them in front of his face. I bit my lip, not wanting to watch what would undoubtebly come next.

Daniel laughed, throwing his head back and giving a hearty bellow. He lunged forward, landing a punch right in the other man's jaw. He fell to the ground again, cradling his face in one hand, but tried to stand again.

"Hey!" I yelled, unable to watch any more. Daniel turned, and for the first time in my life, I was actually afraid of him. He had a cruel look in his eye, his teeth bared in a sick grin. A fire was blazing in his eyes, and he was breathing heavily. His face flickered when he saw me, guilt, pride, and cockiness sliding across his expression like pictures. The smaller boy on the ground looked at me, but I didn't look at him. "Daniel!" I said, horror clear in my voice. He sniffed, looking back at his prey.

The boy looked familiar. I'd seen him with... Bucky. Bucky was a good friend of mine, and he was one of the closest things to nice I'd come to. He was Bucky's friend. Steve... Rogers. 

"Go on home, Lacey." Daniel spat, his voice husky and loud. He turned back to Steve, who was struggling to stand. "You want more, or are you finally learning when to give up?" He was showing off. Showing off that he could beat someone clearly smaller. His idea of making me attracted to him made me sick.

I stepped in front of him, between him and Steve. I was by far the shortest girl in my neighborhood. I was five feet, and I refused to wear heels. Daniel was six foot two, looming over me. I stood my ground, craning my neck to look up at him. 

It was raining harder now, water falling in sheets down on us. My hair was sticking to my skin, the cloth of my dress as well. I glared up at Daniel, refusing to shield my eyes from the rain. His hair was stringy--water falling in droplets from the messy clumps. 

"Get lost, Daniel." I spat, setting my jaw. He looked surprised-- no woman had every physically challenged him before. Or man, for that matter. He didn't know what to do.

"This ain't your business, Lacey." He slurred, wiping the rain from his nose. Blood smeared on his cheek from the back of his hand, and I felt my stomach flip. 

"Why don't you go pick on someone your own size?" I asked, venom staining my words. He looked apprehensive, glancing from me to Steve.

"Yeah, like who?" He asked, settling for cockiness. 

"Like me." I said, taking a step closer to him. His eyes hardened, and for a moment I thought he might hit me. To my utter surprise, instead he stepped back. 

"Come on, now. You're smaller'n him, too, half-pint." He gave me an almost-flirty smile, and I heard a small grunt from behind me.

"You can't talk to her like that!" Steve piped up, stumbling forward. Daniel sneered, taking a vicious step toward him.

"You wanna bet?" Daniel challenged. I put out a hand, placing my palm flat against his chest to hold him back. He flinched, surprised, but then grinned nastily.

"Get lost." I whispered, my voice soft. I pursed my lips, brushing my wet hair back from my face. He hesitated, but held up two hands in surrender; he took a step back, a predatory smile engraved in his lips.

"See you next time, then." He said, directed at both of us. He winked at me, and disappeared from the alley.

I took a moment to collect myself before turning around to face Steve. "Are you..." I bit my lip, clearing my throat. "Are you okay?"

He looked at me for a moment, then nodded. I ran a hand through my wet hair, keeping my bangs out of my face. "He's a jerk, I'm sorry." I said, looking to make sure he wouldn't come back. I glanced up at the sky, seeing the rain clouds starting to go away. When I looked back over at Steve, he was staring at me.

"What?" I asked, suddenly self-conscious. His eyes were glassy blue, and sharp enough to cut glass. 

"You don't wear the powder." He said, after a moment. I brought a hand up to my face, blushing. I hated using the makeup everyone else did, it was too heavy and thick. "Like all the other girls." He cleared his throat, flushing and looking away bashfully. 

I smiled, looking at him through my lashes. The rain was falling more gently now, and it wasn't as dark. "I don't go dancing like the other girls." I said, smirking in spite of myself. 

"Uhm... Steve. Rogers. Steve Rogers." He said awkwardly, holding out a hand. 

"Lacey Macguire." I said, clumsily shaking his hand. His expression changed, realization flashing through his eyes.

"Lacey."

"What?"

He looked away shyly, biting his lip. "People talk about you a lot. The guys do." I laughed, playing with the hem of my skirt.

"Do they? Well..." I gestured to myself. "Shortest girl in town." I said, laughing. I looked back up, almost flinching when his ice blue eyes cut through mine. 

"Shortest guy in town." He said, his eyes not leaving mine. 

He was actually pretty cute. Not attractive in the way the men at the bar were--all muscle and attitude. When Daniel was beating him, he kept getting up. He kept fighting. And even when he knew he couldn't win, he stood up for... for me. 'You can't talk to her like that!'

He didn't even know me. 

I flashed back to reality, finding myself closer to him than I thought. His eyes were on mine, flickering from my lips to my brown irises. I cleared my throat after a moment, biting my lip.

"Well... I'll see you around, Steve Rogers." I said, my heart pounding in my chest. I backed away slowly, then turned on my heel and walked out of the alley.

Did I almost just kiss Steve Rogers?


	2. One in Million

The next day my mind was in a frenzy. I couldn't focus. I couldn't think straight. Every tie I tried to use my head, Steve Rogers would drift through it. The girls I lived with barely noticed--they'd given up on trying to get me to socialize. After only a few hours of torturous obsession, I decided to go for a walk.

I went right by the alley again, half of me hoping he was there again just so I could see him. The alley was occupied only by a few empty trash cans. I sighed, continuing on down the walk. 

It was rainy again today, and I had trouble seeing through the downpour on my way to the market. I didn't need to get much, just some produce and a few more cans of soup. I hurried over through the dimly lit streets, trying to get there as quickly as I could. Any sensible person was inside--as Steve probably was as well. I gave up on trying to find him and tried to put him off my mind.

I didn't get so far as two blocks before I ran right into Daniel. I was lurking moodily on the walkway by the park, but his frown turned into a crazy grin when he saw me. He grabbed my shoulders, teeth baring down at me, and I shuddered.

"Hey, gorgeous. What takes you out on a day like this?" He said, each word making him spit water onto my face. I winced, trying to break free from his grip.

"Wouldn't you like to know." I mumbled, not meeting his gaze.

"What was that?" He shook me, forcing my neck up to look at him. "Why don't you come with me so I can teach you some manners." He said, his eyes half-lidded as he looked at me. "You girls should listen better. Do what you're told." I sneered, trying to inch away from his grabby hands.

"You boys should learn to respect other human beings." I spat, looking up at him. This time he didn't flinch; instead he reached out and backhanded me across the face. I stumbled backwards, holding my cheek in one hand.

"How about I teach you?" He asked, ignoring my response. I tried to get away from him, but he wrapped an arm around my waist and capturing me once again in his hands. "You know...." His hand traveled up my skirt, and I thrashed, helpless to defend. "The one thing you girls are good for is a good learnin'." He said, bringing back a hand and smacking it back down on my bottom. I yelped, trying to push off of him. 

"Hey!" A voice yelled, just behind Daniel. I was crying by now, wet tears mixing with rainwater on my cheeks. Daniel turned, and a fist came crashing into his nose. That made him loosen his grip just enough to let me get away, and I turned around.

It was Steve. Steve and Bucky, standing before Daniel like soldiers. Bucky shook his hand, looking over at me with steely eyes. He looked over at Steve, who walked over to me. 

I had both hands covering my mouth, catching the tears as they fell from my eyes. Steve came, wrapping me in his arms and turning me away from the other men. I could hear Bucky and Daniel getting seriously into it--brutal noises falling on my ears. Everything else was just a din. Steve was saying something, but I couldn't hear him. His voice mixed with the rain and the hum of electricity in the nearby shops. 

Steve's thin arms were tight around my back, feeling stronger than they looked. I couldn't focus on anything but how warm he felt--the beating of his heart and how strong it felt through the cotton shirt. He was still a few inches taller than me--miraculously--and my head fit right into the crook of his shoulder. I felt safe.

*******************************************************************************************************

After they got rid of Daniel, Bucky and Steve insisted I go back to their house--it was right around the corner. My shared apartment was a lot further away, and they said they didn't want me to get sick. Nevertheless, it was a short walk back to their small house. I could barely hold myself together, and it took most of my willpower not to cry after that. 

They told me to take a hot shower while they found something dry for me to wear, and I graciously accepted. The tempts of a hot shower were irresistible. They lead me to their bathroom and I practically leapt into the jets of warm water that awaited. 

Once I got out, I got a towel and walked outside, almost completely forgetting where I was. I practically lived in a sorority, and I had--one too many times--had one of my friends be completely naked with a boy in the hallway. Needless to say, I wasn't uncomfortable being unclothed. Once I stepped into the living room, where Bucky and Steve sat on the couch, I got self-conscious. 

"I, uhm..." I started awkwardly, trailing off. They both looked up, and neither one of them moved. I stood uncomfortably for a moment before clearing my throat, shifting my weight from foot to foot. Steve jumped up, grabbing a small lump of clothes off the table and inching over to me. He seemed like he didn't want to get too close, and looked away from me to hand me the clothes. I almost smiled at how cute that was. He didn't want me to be uncomfortable, so he just looked away. I whispered a small thank you and went to change, grinning as soon as I turned away.

They had given me sweatpants and a large hooded sweatshirt, and I donned them quickly, towel-drying my hair. They were most-definitely Steve's, considering they were much too small to be Bucky's; smelling of toothpaste and a dark after-shave. I grinned again, walking back into the living room and flopping onto their couch.

"Hey." Steve said, looking over my clothes. "Do those work okay, because you could use something else if you--"

"No, this is great." I said, picking at the warm sweatshirt. He smiled, biting his lip. It was such an endearing gesture that I couldn't help but smile.

"What?" He asked, looking mildly confused.

I laughed softly, waving my hand. "Nothing. You're cute." I said, running a hand through my hair. "What were you guys doing out there today anyways?" I asked, blushing.

The corner of Steve's mouth pulled up into a smile and he looked at me. I could feel his eyes still on me when I looked over at Bucky. Bucky guffawed, throwing his head back onto the couch and holding his stomach. "We were going out to the office to get this guy a new identification card." He said, rolling his eyes. "God knows he didn't lose his. He turned it in for a new one." He said, hitting Steve's shoulder gently. I knit my brow, looking between the two of them. 

"Stevie here wants to join the war." Bucky said seeing my confusion. "The office won't take him because of all his health issues..." Steve grunted in indignance, but said nothing, "so he goes to the next town over and gets a new ID to apply again."

I felt my jaw drop as I looked over at Steve. "How many times have you done that?" I asked, unable to keep the surprise from my tone.

He shrugged, blushing. "Only a few."

Bucky laughed again, rolling his eyes. "Like, thirty. At least. He's just lucky he hasn't been caught. You can get in real trouble for that." He said, his expression turning more serious.

I laughed, licking my lips. "Steve Rogers, you are one in a million."


	3. Chapter 3

I didn't stay long--only until I got dry and warm, and then I was off to go home. It had stopped raining, but it was still really dark out. 

"Are you sure you don't want me to walk you home?" Steve asked, standing with me by his front door. I leaned against the wall, looking out into the dark street. 

"Yeah, I don't want any of my friends to get suspicious." I said, smiling softly. He cleared his throat, shifting his weight awkwardly.

"Hey--Uhm... before you leave. Did you want to...." He laughed, flushing. "Do you want to like...grab dinner sometime?" He was blushing profusely, and looked over at me. He had a look on his face like he was bracing himself for rejection, but a glimmer of hope was clear in his expression.

I looked at him for a moment, a growing smile on my face. "Yeah. Yeah, I mean... that would be great." I said, laughing nervously. He smiled widely, looking ecstatic. 

"Yeah! Great! We can.... Uhm--" He moved closer, looking out the window into the street. "There's Mandy's." He said, his eyes bight and blue and glistening with excitement. Mandy's was the nearby diner, practically famous for it's cute style and renowned cuisine. 

I looked back up at him, biting my lip. "Mandy's sounds great." I said, smiling. His eyes drifted from mine, wandering down to my lips, and I stopped biting them, suddenly self-conscious.

He leaned in closer, his breath hitting my cheeks softly, and I tilted my chin up. He was a lot smaller than any other guy I'd known, but it was just enough so I didn't have to crane just to look at him. He was only a few inches taller, but thinner than me by far. Inching forward, I felt him bring a hand up to brush my hair back from my face, and I brought my eyes back up to his. He was looking at me, clear blue eyes shiny and darker than normal. 

He was even handsomer than I'd thought. I'd thought he was cute, but his eyes were almost irresistible. Body was never even any part of my image for attractiveness. For beauty. He could have achieved beauty in a three foot form, and I still would have loved him. He wasn't even ugly, to say. He wasn't all that frail--or waifish. His eyes were mostly what did it for me--they were deep and dark and a cold azure that I couldn't associate with anything secular. 

I closed my eyes, my hands drifting up to his shoulders almost on auto-pilot. His palm rested on my jaw, almost touching my hairline, and the warmth it gave me was all out of proportion at the moment. I felt his eyelashes brush my skin briefly as he closed his eyes, and my lips brushed his in a featherlight touch.

"Hey, Stevie. Do you know whe--" Bucky stalked in, and both Steve and I jumped three feet in the air, stepping away from each other. I felt my cheeks go red, and I reached up to brush my hair behind my ear. "The umbrella is..." Bucky trailed off, looking at us. I could feel Steve's eyes on me, but kept my gaze on the floor. 

He cleared his throat, seeming to be breathing rather heavily. "No, Buck." He said, his voice harder than before. He was breathing through his nose, like he was trying to control himself. I looked up at him, surprised to see how flushed his face was, then looked out the door.

"It's late." I said, pulling my peacoat sleeves over my hands. Steve's eyes fell to the motion, his expression disappointed. "I should probably go." I said, biting my lip. I stepped forward, kissing Steve's cheek quickly before reaching for the doorknob. "I'll be seeing you soon." I said, winking at him and smiling. 

"Bye."

*********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************  
The next day I spent hours getting ready--I stayed in my room the entire day, which wasn't abnormal. I wore nothing too fancy; a ruffled red top with a black high waisted skirt. I matched them both with black shined flats and nude nylons and tied it up with a red rouge. 

Around quarter to seven, I got ready to go--I snuck from the bedroom of my shared apartment and down to the steps, leaving silently. None of my girlfriends noticed--they were either making out with their boyfriends or giggling on the couch. They didn't take any notice to me. I closed and locked the door behind me and started out into the street. I hated walking alone now, but Mandy's was only a block or two away. I started down the sidewalk, moving quickly down the street.

Steve really was one of a kind. He was pure--it didn't seem like he'd ever even had a conversation with a woman before. He was genuine, in a way that told you everything about him with just one glance. He was steady, almost naive, which was a whole lot better than rushing into things. I had barely just met him, only three days before, and already my mind had developed more certainty than ever before. He was different. In a good way. He wasn't anything like Daniel, or even Bucky. He hadn't nearly conformed to what everyone wanted...but he was exactly what I wanted.

I got to Mandy's just on time, seeing Steve waiting just inside the door. I stepped inside, smiling at the high tinkling noise the bells made when I opened the door. 

"I hope I didn't keep you waiting." I said, unbuttoning my coat. He smiled widely when he saw me, and reached out to take my jacket. 

"No, I just got here." He said. I could see some of the other men in the diner already sizing me up, but Steve's eyes remained on mine. He gestured to a table, off to the other side of the restaurant. "You look amazing." He said, already looking nervous. He walked around, pulling out a chair and looked eagerly at me. I almost melted because... I'd been on six dates in my entire life and this was the first time anyone had ever done that.

I smiled, sitting down and graciously thanking him. "You look pretty good yourself." I said. He was wearing a dark grey casual suit-like jacket with matching pants and a white button-down. His hair was combed back in a dapper manner that automatically made me grin. "So." I said, taking up the menu. "I haven't eaten here in a long time. What do you usually get?" I tried to make short conversation and not look desperate, but he seemed engaged in small talk.   
***********************************************************************************************************

We stayed in the diner for almost two hours, even ordering a nice desert to share afterwards. He was incredible--he seemed to have an endless amount of funny stories to tell once I got through the nervously awkward stage. I couldn't understand why no woman had ever approached him before. He wasn't even physically unattractive. Sure, he was shorter than a lot of the other men, but it wasn't a completely negate feature.

He offered to walk me home, insisting on being there so I wasn't alone, and escorted me right to my doorstep. 

"That was really fun." I said, biting my lip. He looked at me, turning to face me wholly and taking my hand. I flinched, surprised, but my expression changed completely when he lifted my hand to his lips. He pressed his lips to the back of my hand, his eyes flicking up to mine briefly before he let go. 

"You're a gorgeous girl." He said, bringing heat to my cheeks. "Thank you for giving me a bit of your time." His eyes were bright and happy, and I smiled, not letting go of his hand. "Not many women would give me that." He said, the glisten in his eye ever-replenishing my butterflies.

I unconsciously stepped closer to him, his overwhelming personality like a magnet. "And you're a lot better of a man than you think." I said, my boldness surprising me when I wrapped both arms around his neck.

"Am I?" He asked, his eyes darkening as he placed a hand on my waist.

"I like to think so..." I said, giving a small smile. His expression looked constrained for a moment, like he was trying to hold back, but he gave up and let our lips touch. It was soft at first--barely a whisp of touch. I rose in my shoes, pulling myself closer to him and pressing my lips onto his. I could feel all the breath leave my lungs and fly out of my nose, and he smiled into my mouth. His hands encompassed my waist, pulling my body flush against his, and I closed my eyes. My mouth worked against his like an instrument, like I was meant to do just that. 

His breathing picked up, and I pulled away, bowing my head and pursing my lips. I couldn't keep the smile off my face. When I looked up, he couldn't either, despite his heavy breathing.

"You okay?" I asked, my arms still around his neck. He nodded, swallowing and taking deep breaths. I knew he had asthma, and I knew I had to be careful. I knit my brow, concerned. "Are you sure?" I asked looking up at him. He seemed to be calming down, but couldn't shake the goofy grin plastered on his lips. He nodded, letting go of my waist and looking at me. I placed one last lingering kiss on his lips before opening the door. "Goodnight, Steve Rogers."


End file.
